When the academic Sarah Steele was assaulted in England, she had no idea her case would end up in front of a US military court. Harry Davies explains why military judges and juries are ruling on crimes committed in the UK.
A little-known system under scrutiny
A little-known system in which US military personnel are tried through a court martial for alleged crimes committed in the UK is under growing scrutiny. One person who has been through that system is the academic Sarah Steele.
Steele told the Guardian investigations correspondent Harry Davies that after she was strangled one night by Jacob Wulfson, a US fighter pilot who lived in a flat in Cambridge, her case was taken up by the US military justice system. The members of the jury at her trial were all men from the air force.
“It’s been really difficult having to literally sit in a room full of people in uniform, overwhelmingly older men, and have those individuals who haven’t any semblance of life experience similar to my own; they were culturally different,” she said.
How the parallel justice system works
Davies tells Annie Kelly about this parallel justice system, how it differs from British courts and what other crimes committed in the UK are tried under it. The system operates under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the US and UK, which allows US military courts to exercise jurisdiction over certain offenses committed by US service members in the UK.
According to Davies, the process differs significantly from British courts. For instance, the jury is composed entirely of military personnel, and the trial follows US military law rather than UK law. This can lead to different outcomes and procedures, including sentencing guidelines that may not align with UK standards.
Impact on victims and broader implications
Steele’s experience highlights the challenges victims face in such cases. The cultural and procedural differences can make the process feel alienating. “It’s been really difficult having to literally sit in a room full of people in uniform, overwhelmingly older men, and have those individuals who haven’t any semblance of life experience similar to my own; they were culturally different,” she reiterated.
The case has sparked debate about the appropriateness of US military courts handling crimes committed on UK soil. Critics argue that victims may not receive the same level of justice as they would in UK courts, and that the system lacks transparency.
According to the Guardian, other crimes tried under this system include assault, theft, and even more serious offenses. The number of cases is relatively small, but the implications are significant for those involved.
